How different were the reactions by European Parliament’s leaders to Jose Manuel Barroso’s re-election as President of the European Commission. An ironical Daniel Cohn-Bendit, co-chairman of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance in the EP, said: ‘I have the idea that I am looking at Jose Manuel Obama. The old Barroso is dead: Yes We Can!’.
The bitterest reaction came from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats (S&D), the second largest group in the parliament. Its leader, Martin Schulz described Barroso as "the weakest commission president in the history of the EU" after the narrow vote that gave him a second five-year term. Mr Barroso obtained fewer votes than five years ago and had to rely on Eurosceptics to obtain only 13 votes over the qualified majority potentially required by the Lisbon Treaty.
S&D leader Schulz, the majority of whose group abstained with the aim of forcing key policy concessions later this year, stated: "Mr Barroso will have many sleepless nights ahead of him, for his support within the Parliament is extremely fragile. His reliance on the votes of the Eurosceptics, who oppose everything Mr. Barroso stands for, makes him weaker still and brings shame upon him’. Mr. Schulz forgot to add, that his group lacked the ability to field a candidate against Barroso, due to continuing internal deep divisions and his erstwhile personal ambitions for the post. An important minority of the Group did vote in favour of Mr. Barroso…
The ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) group made a U-turn, through the mouth of its leader the former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt. The Belgian liberal seemed first determined to unravel Mr. Barroso’s candidacy, a determination that might be partly explained by the bad blood that exists between the two men. It was Mr. Barroso who in 2004 – then also Prime Minister, of Portugal – torpedoed the bid of his Belgian colleague for the Commission presidency. But under pressure from the members of his group, the third largest in the Parliament, Mr. Verhofstadt made a U-turn and the ALDE group supported the re-election of Mr. Barroso. After the vote Verhofstadt added to his congratulations: ‘ALDE’s support is conditional upon delivery of the points that Barroso promised which should figure later this year in the detailed Commission work programme’.
One of Barroso’s commitments was to appoint a Commissioner for fundamental rights. A cynical voice in Brussels suggested taking a Lithuanian for this new function. In the same session that the European Parliament voted Barroso back in his chair, a resolution on the Lithuanian law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effects of Public Information passed. Dutch liberal MEP Sophie In‘t Veld: ‘this measure has nothing to do with the protection of children. The law will foster ignorance and stigma. It will expose young, vulnerable gay, lesbian and transgender people to bullying and exclusion. We cannot let this happen in Europe. Human rights, equality and freedom for all are at the core of the European project’.
The new Lithuanian law was vetoed twice by the former President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus, who was then overruled by the Parliament. In addition it was severely criticised by the new (and former European Commissioner) President Dalia Grybauskalte. Let’s hope the influence of the EP is stronger then the mouse that roars…
